If you know me IRL, you know how much I love being in bustling cities… and NYC is obviously no different. I visited for the first time last October, and since then, I’ve been itching to go back! Luckily, one of my best friends Nikki moved there this summer, so in October, I took a trip to visit her. Keep reading for my updated New York City travel guide with happy hours, coffee recommendations and more!
WHERE TO EAT + DRINK IN NEW YORK CITY
THE GREY DOG
We grabbed brunch here on Saturday, and we only had to wait about 30 minutes. Nikki and I both got the Grey Dog Breakfast so we could try a bit of everything, and I’m glad we did. The French toast and home fries were amazing, and I loved the hibiscus mimosa I got. Bonus points to the fun server who took a shot with us LOL.
AINSLIE
This was one of my only repeats for this trip, and I promise I will go again on my next trip! My friend Francesca (who I met through Instagram and met for the first time last year) recommended it last year and I loved it so much I asked that we go again this year. They have a great happy hour with $9 house wines, but the penne alla vodka is the real standout for me. I added burrata this year and last and will do it every time I go! Pro tip: if you’re staying somewhere with a fridge, make sure you don’t save this for the last night just in case you have leftovers.
BRICIOLA
This is a spot Nikki’s been a few times, and it was so fun to see a place where she’s a regular! Our server was so friendly and made the experience even better. We both got the special which was lasagna, and I ended up eating it for breakfast the next morning. We ended the night with their warm chocolate soufflé which was delicious but so rich.
NAN XIANG XIAO LONG BAO
I took advantage of bopping around for a quick solo lunch date while Nikki had plans, and I ended up at this Michelin-recommended restaurant. I got pork soup dumplings and pan-fried pork dumplings and I am still dreaming about how delicious both were. This would be a wonderful restaurant to go to with friends so you could split a few different dishes, but I promise you’ll have just as much fun if you go alone.
LA BELLA MIXTECA
On my very first night we did an early happy hour and picked up takeout at a spot Nikki loved. I am a huge fan of chilaquiles and these are some of the best I’ve ever had… and they were even better the next day for breakfast!
NEW YORK CITY HAPPY HOURS WE LOVED
While Nikki and I were bopping along the city, we stumbled upon multiple happy hours. Of course you could plan for these, but most restaurants and bars had some sort of happy hour special so you could easily try a few during a visit!
GREY LADY
This was one of my favorite New York City happy hours we found: $1 oysters! We enjoyed a dozen oysters and wine on their patio in the afternoon, and it was one of the best deals of the trip by far. The oysters were amazing, and for $1 a piece, it’s a can’t-miss in my opinion. The happy hour is 4-7PM Wednesday-Sunday and 1-7PM on Thursday and Friday.
CAFE DU SOLEIL
You’ll get your bang for your buck at this happy hour. Cocktails are just $7, and we took full advantage. The dirty martinis were great, but they also had other fun drinks like a mango caipirinha. The vibes of this place were also amazing, with Aperol posters everywhere and a crowd of people sitting on the patio.
HOLE IN THE WALL
This was a cute spot and perfect to kill some time before dinner plans in Williamsburg, but I would definitely recommend saving it for the happy hour. There are just a few drinks on the happy hour menu but for $10, they’re a good start compared to some of the $20 drinks we were seeing on menus.
NYC COFFEE SHOPS TO TRY
Would it really be a Sunnyside New York City travel guide without coffee recommendations to last a week? Most of the coffee shops we hit were in Harlem because we would walk to caffeinate before hopping on the subway. I’m only including my favorites of the coffee shops we hit because there were a few that just didn’t impress me as much!
NBHD BRULEE
This was such a cute coffee shop and the perfect place to work from home! I just grabbed a plain cappuccino and added honey and cinnamon to it, and that with the pumpkin loaf was the perfect combination for the morning. There was plenty of room to find a seat and settle in for a few hours.
CHA CHA MATCHA
This was another repeat from last year’s trip, but if you’re craving a matcha, it’ll be an obvious choice. I love the iced strawberry matcha but the puree can be a bit off-putting if you’re used to strawberry syrup in your matchas instead of the blended fruit. Their drinks are fairly expensive (even for NYC standards, IMO), and I’m sure there are other matcha spots to try that are less “touristy”, but this one really hit the spot on our trip.
FRENCHY
This was one of my favorite spots we visited on the trip! After a late night out for Halloween, we took it easy on Sunday with a picnic at Central Park. Frenchy is pretty close to the park in Spanish Harlem, so we grabbed lattes (mine was a maple spice that was delicious), and I got a ham, cheese and cornichon sandwich that hit the spot in the best way.
GREGORY’S
This is a local chain that I (accidentally) went to twice on the trip, but I loved the consistency! I grabbed a flavored iced latte one day and a hot chocolate another, and while it wasn’t necessarily groundbreaking coffee, I appreciated consistent (and not crazy sweet) coffee.
CULTURE ESPRESSO
On our last full day in the city, we stopped by Culture Coffee which ended up being one of my favorite coffee spots. This was one of my favorite cappuccinos of the trip, but the real standout was the chocolate chip cookie. One of the best cookies I’ve ever had, so no matter when you go, I highly recommend you grab one.
NEW YORK CITY TRAVEL GUIDE: WHAT TO DO
My last trip to New York was much more filled with site-seeing and activities than this one, so check out that one for more recommendations! Because I was visiting a friend who actually lives there on this trip, more of our time was spent hitting her regular spots and watching three straight seasons of Sex and the City… and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
- Picnic at Central Park
- Window shop in Manhattan
- Actually shop at the Brooklyn and Chelsea Flea Markets
I just love New York City… so don’t be surprised when one day I write a blog post telling you I’m moving there!
